Nursing students’ mental health: How does eco-anxiety effect?

Er S., Murat M., Ata E. E., Köse S., BUZLU S.

International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, vol.33, no.5, pp.1315-1326, 2024 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 33 Issue: 5
  • Publication Date: 2024
  • Doi Number: 10.1111/inm.13320
  • Journal Name: International Journal of Mental Health Nursing
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, ASSIA, CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Psycinfo, Violence & Abuse Abstracts
  • Page Numbers: pp.1315-1326
  • Keywords: climate change, eco-anxiety, mental health, nursing students
  • Istanbul University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Climate change is recognised as one of the fundamental determinants of human health. Anxiety experienced in response to an ecological crisis is defined as eco-anxiety. This study aims to determine the eco-anxiety levels of nursing students and the relationship between eco-anxiety and their mental health. The sample of the cross-sectional correlation and descriptive study consisted of nursing students (N = 609) from two different universities in Istanbul. Data were collected with Personal Information Form, Eco-Anxiety Scale and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21). The data were analysed with SPSS (v.28) by using the Mann–Whitney U and Kruskal–Wallis tests, the Spearman correlation test and general linear model. It was determined that 84.2% of the participants were women and 60.8% were 18–20 years old. The participants' total Eco-Anxiety Scale score was 25.65 ± 7.49, and the total DASS-21 score was 21.24 ± 14.76. There is a statistically significant and positive relationship between the Eco-Anxiety Scale and DASS-21. Mental health nurses can play a key role in planning and raising awareness of interventions for eco-anxiety.